Question

Irony, Sarcasm, and Paradox Quick Check 1 of 51 of 5 Items Feature 1 Janelle ran the half-block from the subway station to the office. Thank you very much, subway, Janelle thought. Thanks for picking today, of all days, to get stuck for twenty-six minutes. That was very considerate of you. Thanks for picking the very day we have a new supervisor coming to work, someone I really want to impress. 2 She had risen before daylight that morning, planning to arrive to work even earlier than usual. She had planned to be at her desk, already hard at work, when the new supervisor arrived for the day. And now here she was, prompt, predictable Janelle, running late for the first time in her life. 3 Janelle entered the building and hurried to the elevator. A small crowd stood waiting for it. No, she decided; too slow. She would take the stairs, all sixteen floors of them. There was no time to waste. 4 By the time Janelle reached her floor, she was out of breath. She sprinted to her desk and threw herself into her chair. 5 Her coworker Mark leaned over from the next desk. 6 “Hi, Janelle,” he said. “Everything okay? I’ve never known you to be even a minute late.” 7 “I’m fine,” she said, busying herself with her computer. “Has the new supervisor come around yet?” 8 “The new supervisor?” Mark asked. “You mean the one starting next Monday?” 9 “Next Monday?” asked Janelle. “You mean, a week from today?” 10 “Yes,” said Mark. “It’s right here on the calendar.” He peered at Janelle. “You didn’t think it was today, did you?” 11 “Oh, no,” said Janelle. “Of course not. I would never make such a silly mistake.” Question Use the story to answer the question. Which sentences are examples of irony? (2 points) Irony Not irony Janelle ran the half-block from the subway station to the office. Thanks for picking today, of all days, to get stuck for twenty-six minutes. “Has the new supervisor come around yet?” “I would never make such a silly mistake.” Skip to navigation page 13 of 13

Answer 1

To identify the sentences that are examples of irony from the given story, we should look for statements where the intended meaning is different from the literal meaning.

1. “Thanks for picking today, of all days, to get stuck for twenty-six minutes.” - This is an example of irony because Janelle is expressing gratitude sarcastically; she is actually upset about the subway being delayed on an important day.

2. “I would never make such a silly mistake.” - This is also an example of irony because Janelle did make a silly mistake by confusing the supervisor's start date, and she is stating the opposite of what has actually happened.

The following sentence is not an example of irony:

• “Has the new supervisor come around yet?” - This is a straightforward question without any ironic implications.

So, the ironic sentences are:

• “Thanks for picking today, of all days, to get stuck for twenty-six minutes.”
• “I would never make such a silly mistake.”